PARENT NEWSLETTER: SUMMER EDITION 1
July 12, 2020
Learn more about re-opening here: www.springisd.org/reopen
INTRODUCING: THE BAILEY SCHOOL FOR PERFORMING & VISUAL ARTS
Open to all current students....
BAILEY PVA: THE LEADING CHOICE
VISION
To establish a Middle School of the Performing and Visual Arts that serves a dual-purpose focusing on arts and academics within a comprehensive middle school structure. Students will participate in rigorous Pre-AP core academic classes while exploring and developing skills/concentrations in the areas of dance, drama, instructional music, vocal music, film/media, fine arts, music technology and creative writing.
MISSION
MSPVA students will have the opportunity to attend local, state and national arts related events as well as participate in arts-related internships, apprenticeships, cultural projects and community service.
20-21 Student Dress Code & Apparel
Stay safe with a Bailey PVA Mask!!
$5.00 cash payable at the front desk. On sale at Bailey Middle School!
INTRODUCING: THE BAILEY SCHOOL FOR PERFORMING & VISUAL ARTS LEADERSHIP TEAM
Shundra Brown, Building Principal
- Educational leader with a track record of successful school transformation and innovation.
- Possesses relevant experience with leading wide-scale transformation, action planning, data collection, data analysis, project planning, and delivering results.
- Specialties include Change Leadership, Innovation, and Urban School Turn Around and Performing/Visual Arts.
Journalism:
https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/2011/11/04/shundra-brown-when-bubbling-is-troubling/
School Turn Around/ Innovation:
Performance Review Link: http://www.theaterjones.com/ntx/reviews/20090207180540/2009-02-03/Jubilee-Theatre/The-Bluest-Eye
Review Link: http://thecolumnonline.com/review/07-23-2018_TOO-HEAVY-FOR-YOUR-POCKET/
Mr. Paul Carampatan, Associate Building Principal
· Experienced educational leader with a thorough understanding of Spring ISD structures, systems, routines, and political climate.
· Possesses relevant experience with master planning, master scheduling, logistics, technology systems, and facilities planning/management.
· Specialties include technology integration, student discipline management, instructional leadership, and consensus building.
Areas of Responsibility:
•Oversee logistics, scheduling, facilities, technology/software programs, master scheduling and campus scheduling.
•Data Steward, Campus Behavioral Coordinator, Second Level Parent Contact.
•Athletics scheduling and coordination.
•Instructional Specialty: Math: Supervises Math Coach.
Ms. Lauren Hooks, 6th Grade House Principal
- Extensive knowledge in Professional Learning Communities (PLC) and instructional strategies that promotes student achievement, academic learning and social-emotional development.
- Extensive knowledge in Special Education and specially designed instruction.
Effective communication, organization and leadership skills with the ability to build relationships with all stakeholders.
Areas of Responsibility
•Oversees all operational. parental, and student concerns related to 6th Grade.
•Instructional Specialty: Social Studies 6-8, SPED 6-8
Ms. Candace Gilliam, 7th Grade House Principal
- Ability to disaggregate data, and develop systems to increase student achievement.
- Extensive knowledge in developing and successfully implementing effective professional development that empower educators to foster student engagement and understanding.
- Received specialized leadership development training in increasing leadership capacity and positively impacting school culture and student achievement via Spring ISD’s LeadSpring. Leadership Academy.
Areas of Responsibility
•Oversees all operational. parental, and student concerns related to 7th Grade.
•Instructional Specialty: Science 6-8, Test Coordination
Jy’Syria D. Selmon, 8th Grade House Principal
- · Extensive knowledge of student information systems and technology implementation and usage.
- · Strong English Language Arts background with experiences with both English as a Second Language and Gifted and Talented sub-pop student groups.
- · Provided the foundation for a campus-wide PBIS system.
- · Received specialized leadership development training in increasing leadership capacity and positively impacting school culture and student achievement via Spring ISD’s LeadSpring. Leadership Academy.
Areas of Responsibility
•Oversees all operational. parental, and student concerns related to 8th Grade.
•Instructional Specialty: Electives & Performing/Visual Arts/Arts Integration Coordinator
Mrs. Daniella Cole, Instructional Specialist
· Ability to develop and facilitate effective professional development that fosters student engagement and achievement.
· Strong instructional leadership with the proven ability to lead instructional changes for turn-around campuses by fostering environments of critical and logical thinking.
· Transformed student engagement and increased the quality of instruction through the effective implementation of authentic literacy and Get Better Faster Coaching framework
New Teacher Professional Development
Professional Learning Communities
Ongoing Teacher Professional Development
Teacher Coaching & Feedback
Mrs. Tia Jones, Lead Counselor
· Planning developmentally appropriate activities following weekly themes and organizing materials for thematic units in a variety of areas
· Use of systematic lessons planning emphasizing long and short –term goals and assessment: Morning Meetings, Restorative Practices, Positive Behavior Support, RTI.
Areas of Responsibility
- · Master Scheduling.
- Parent Engagement Coordinator
- 8th Grade Level Counseling & Transitions
Ms. Rakia Veal, PVA Specialty Counselor
- Use of systematic lessons planning emphasizing long and short –term goals and assessment: Morning Meetings, Restorative Practices, Positive Behavior Support, RTI.
Areas of Responsibility
- PVA Scheduling
- 6th Grade Level Counseling & Transitions
Ms. Jacquelyn Hopkins, Testing Coordinator
- Oversees all aspects of testing.
Ms. Ashley Griffin, Student Support Specialist
- At-Risk student support.
- Positive Behavior Support & Interventions.
Ms. LaShaunda McGlothen, Principal's Secretary
- Budget & Finance
- Activity Funds
- Substitute Coordination
- Principal's Calendar
- Campus Calendar
Performing & Visual Arts Team
David Landgrebe, Assistant Director of Performing & Visual Arts
Mrs. Stephanie Boothman, PVA Department Chair, Head Band Director
Mr. Erwin Vreugdenhi, Assistant Band Director
Mrs. Kaitlyn Floyd, Head Choir Director
Mrs.Bethany Monroy, Theater Teacher
Mrs. Keirsten Probst, Art Teacher
Mrs. Sarah Wyatt, Art Teacher
Ms. Kellyn Radler, Assistant Choir Director
Ms. Nikia Johnson, Creative Writing Teacher
NEW STAFF SPOTLIGHT
Mr. Marcus Medellin, Technical Theater Teacher
Ms. Yanita Alaniz, Dance Teacher
Dr. Richard Velez, 8th Grade Science Teacher
Would you like to sign up for one of our new Performing & Visual Arts Electives?
Introduction to Creative Writing
PEIMS: 03273410
Course Description
This course full-year course introduces the main genres of creative writing, preparing scholars for upper level creative writing courses in fiction, creative non-fiction, and poetry. Scholars will focus on literacy skills, analyze genres characteristics, read genre exemplars, learn proof-reading and revision skills, and compose original works in each of the genres.
Advanced Creative Writing, First Time Taken
PEIMS: 03273420
Pre-requisite: Successful completion of Introduction to Creative Writing
This full-year course emphasizes reading and composing creative nonfiction, fiction, and poetry. Scholars will expand their study of the various creative writing genres and create their own original works. Scholars will participate in scholarly research and analysis of selected fiction, creative non-fiction, playwriting, screenwriting, and poetry while learning the process of publication. By the end of the course, scholars will write a complete work and submit for publication.
Middle School Technical Theatre, First Time Taken
PEIMS: 03154240
Pre-requisite: Successful completion of Theatre MS 1
Students are introduced to the fundamentals of technical theatre and film-making,
including stagecraft, theatre safety, properties, lighting, sound, costumes, technology,
makeup.
Enrollment is limited to 24 students per class period, per teacher.
Dance MS 1
PEIMS: 03154120
Students will learn basic elements of dance styles and acquire the wellness information
and skills necessary to become healthy adults. This course is offered at Roberson Middle
School and Bailey Middle School. This is a full-year course and students may earn either
fine arts or physical education credit for this course.
Dance MS 2
PEIMS: 03154220
Prerequisite: Dance MS 1
Students will extend the learner’s knowledge of basic elements of dance styles and
acquire the wellness information and skills necessary to become healthy adults. This
course is offered at Roberson Middle School and Bailey Middle School. This is a full-year
course and students may earn either fine arts or physical education credit for this course.
19-20 Q & A
The report card is accessible via the Home Access Center. If you need access to the parent Home Access Center email cemanu1@springisd.org for your username and password.
Q: Did I pass or fail?
Unless you received a letter and phone call from your grade level administrator specifically stating that you were retained, you were promoted to the next grade level. Due to the circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 interruption, very few students were retained. We appreciate all of the hard work and effort our students demonstrated during the transition, and we did not penalize any student who put forth their best efforts.
Q: How can I turn in my chromebook from the Spring semester?
We will be on campus July 20-23 from 10am-1pm each day. Simply come to the campus and drop your child's chromebook in the bin in front of the school. Please be sure to attach your child's First and Last Name to the chromebook. Once you drop the chromebook, text 409-203-7295 to notify us that you have left it. We will text back to confirm receipt.
Re-Opening Plans Underway
Spring ISD to Offer Families Opportunities for Both In-Person and Remote Learning during the 2020-21 School Year
HOUSTON - July 1, 2020 - Spring ISD is offering parents two back-to-school options for their students this August - full-time online instruction or a hybrid model that offers a combination of both in-person and distance learning.
The district presented its plan Tuesday at a special meeting of the Board of Trustees, which heard a detailed review of each of the options developed during weeks of planning and incorporating the results of recent parent and staff surveys.
“Our goal is to be as prepared as possible to respond to the changing public health conditions that may impact our community,” said Spring ISD Chief of Communications and Innovation Tiffany Dunne-Oldfield. “We believe these two options will allow us to prioritize the safety of our students and staff while ensuring a quality education in a COVID-19 environment.”
The hybrid option reflects that commitment to safety, with administrators calling it the Safety-First Hybrid Model. Under that choice, all students will learn from home on Wednesdays so that schools can be deep cleaned. But depending on public health conditions, students in grades 3 through 12 will attend school in-person up to four days a week if there is minimal spread of COVID-19 in the community. If there is widespread transmission of the virus in the community, the district will move to an alternating schedule of only two days of in-person instruction each week, with the other days dedicated to at-home learning. Should the spread be severe and schools need to close, most students will learn remotely until it is safe to return to campus.
For students in Pre-K–2nd grades, the Safety-First Hybrid Model will mean four days of in-person instruction with enhanced social distancing measures in place that will minimize the opportunities for students to mix outside of their class group. In addition, campuses will enhance school sanitation and hygiene efforts through a variety of strategies, including face coverings in common areas, plexiglass shields as appropriate, frequent hand washing and reduced class sizes.
Spring High School Principal Diaka Melendez, who helped lead the planning group that focused on school schedules and class configurations, said there was strong consensus that the district’s youngest students need as much in-person instruction as possible.
“When you think about phonics or reading or just those developmental skills that are so necessary to your education later on, Pre-K through 2 students would be the group that we would try to bring on campus Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday,” Melendez said.
The other option for parents in the 2020-21 school year is online instruction, which the district will continue calling Empowered Learning At-Home. But unlike during the extended closure when students worked on Project-Based Learning plans, families that opt for Empowered Learning At-Home will take part in standards-based learning with educators teaching specific content.
“Our courses, our scope and sequence will be standards-based instruction, and it will include an aligned assessment,” said Melissa Warford, McNabb Elementary principal. “We really want to emphasize to our parents, to our community members, and to our teachers that what we provide students in Schoology will mirror the same high-caliber, high-quality instruction that they would receive when they are inside the classroom.”
To help guide the district’s decision-making, administrators unveiled an Operational Decision Meter to clearly outline how the district will determine when in-person days can be expanded or when campuses may need to move to more virtual/remote learning to protect the health of students and staff due to localized outbreaks.
That color-coded meter aligns with public health conditions, with red being the most severe spread of COVID-19 and green representing minimal spread.
By the middle of July, families will be sent an email or text asking them to indicate their preference for either the Safety-First Hybrid option or Empowered Learning At-Home. Based on early parent survey results, some 41 percent of parents indicated they would feel “somewhat comfortable” or “very comfortable” sending their students to school in the fall provided the district takes strong steps to prioritize health and safety, such as reducing the number of students in classrooms and mandating that masks be worn in enclosed spaces and common areas where adequate social distancing is not possible.
“We saw a strong consensus in the survey results around strategies like masks, social distancing measures and regular deep cleaning of our facilities,” Dunne-Oldfield said. “When we explained some of the steps the district is considering, the percentage of families feeling comfortable with a return to school increased.”
The parent survey will remain open until July 6 so there’s still an opportunity for Spring ISD families to weigh in.
Dunne-Oldfield acknowledged that many families and staff are likely to have questions about the district’s 2020-21 plans, and she assured the trustees that more details are coming. Later this week, the district will launch a website at www.springisd.org/reopen with frequently asked questions and other information that will help parents as they evaluate their options for next year.
In addition, Spring ISD Superintendent Dr. Rodney E. Watson announced that the district would be hosting a virtual town hall on July 13 to help address questions.
Dunne-Oldfield said more details on how to participate will be shared with families soon, including a session in Spanish.
“The goal is to ask parents their preference by the middle of July so they have time to think about what option is best for them and so that we have time to plan and staff based on those preferences,” she said.
She said families who opt for the Safety-First Hybrid model will always have the option to move into remote instruction through Empowered Learning At-Home. Families who choose the online option will also be able to change their preference and come back to an in-person setting at the end of each grading period.
“With so much uncertainty, we want our families to have as much flexibility as possible during this unprecedented time,” she said.